This Is Twice Now
by OveliaGirlHaditRight
Summary: "There's a legend about humans. Legend says that originally people were born four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. The gods feared their power, and thus split them in half, so they were two separate entities. And so their lives began, an endless search to find their other halves, that could only end in tragedy." – the "Twisted Lore" KH fanfiction by aradian nights.


**Author's Note: ****"****There's a legend about humans. Legend says that originally people were born four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. The gods feared their power, and thus split them in half, so they were two separate entities. And so their lives began, an endless search to find their other halves, that could only end in tragedy." – the "Twisted Lore" Kingdom Hearts fanfiction by aradian nights.**

**This Is Twice Now**

**Sora's PoV**

It would be when Sora was in the Final World the second time—trying to save Kairi this time—that he would marvel at how she had stopped him and Aqua from doing something crazy, in trying to take care of the Demon Tide themselves.

So that meant that Kairi had saved him not once, but twice here. And what had Sora done? He'd let her meet the worst end he ever could have!

…It was hard not to cry for that, as he was now presented with her splintered astral body in front of his form.

There were also… truths to this world. And all around him, for whatever reason, Sora was hearing a legend he'd learned on Destiny Islands: that man and woman had once been one, but the gods had separated them in fearing their power and that was why man spent eternity trying to find their other half.

While Sora had absolutely no doubt that Kairi was his other half, he didn't really know what that had to do with their situation now… unless the fates were now telling him he'd lost his chance to be with his other side forever, if he didn't do something about it.

Walking closer to where Kairi was, Sora ran a hand through her lovely red hair and found himself speaking to anyone who would listen. "She saved me... in every way a person can be saved. And now it's my turn to do the same for her, so please let me…"

And something out there must have listened, because Sora was now able to begin sewing her back together when he'd been unable to do so before… but as price for this, he himself was already beginning to fade.

And though Sora didn't want to admit it, it scared him.

Was he doing the wrong thing and making it so Kairi would just have to lead a life without him instead of the other way around?

Well, if that was the case, he was going to fight it with every fiber of his being. So speaking to just Kairi now, as he angled his lips by her ear… he told her to look for him in some version of the soulmate story they'd first heard about on Destiny Islands and now here.

And then they both faded.

**A Few Months Later**

**Sora's PoV**

Despite Sora's best laid plans, he didn't get to be with Kairi soon after he fixed her. At all. Rather, he had died saving her like he knew he would, and he'd then played something called the "Reapers' Game" for another chance at life. He'd won that, but had now been pulled into another adventure against his will.

But maybe this world his Keyblade had pulled him into wasn't _completely_ without relevance to Kairi. Because in this place that reminded Sora a bit of the Coliseum, there was a man with the body of a horse... and it made Sora think of what he'd learned about Somebodies once being born with four legs for the soul mate reason.

And maybe in thinking that this would finally be his answer to getting home to Kairi, the Keyblade wielder found himself bellowing, "Does anyone else here believe soulmates were originally one entity?!"

Most everyone ignored Sora. They were too busy with chariot races, climbing walls, and planting in some cases...

All but one kid—maybe about Sora's age?—with black hair and green eyes, who was wearing an orange shirt with the letters "CHB" on it. And turning his sword into some sort of pen that he stuffed in his pocket, the boy came and sat beside Sora. "_I_ could buy it, man. The way that Annabeth and I so perfectly finish each other... it can really only be that way. Even if I'm not really one for religion, and don't believe everything about Greek and Roman mythology. Anyway, I'm Mister Pereeercy Jackson! Who are you? A new demigod?"

Sora laughed at this guy's easygoing nature. Somehow, it reminded him a lot of himself and was exactly what he'd needed after this rough journey.

Also, that term "demigod" piqued Sora's interest, because again: hadn't Herc been called that in his world? But Sora pushed that thought aside, as he instead focused on something else. "Oh… uhh, I'm Sora. But I hafta say I'm surprised you're focusing on the demigod thing, and not me being a Keyblade wielder. Seems like everyone knows about them these days, or has their own, or knows about me and mine." And to demonstrate this point, because Sora had long ago given up on this part of the World Order, he summoned Kingdom Key to hand.

"Wow, is _that_ some level of Daedalus technology that you have there!" Percy exclaimed before whistling at the sight. But seeming to realize that Sora had _no_ clue what that last comment meant, Percy swiftly changed his tactics: something Sora could appreciate, because he'd often had to stay on his toes himself. "So what sort of quest are you on? I can tell you've got experience with that weapon, so you can't be a new kid on the block… Y'know, I thought there was only Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter. But you know what? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more half-blood Camps. I _know_ you're not a Camp Half-Blood, and you're not attacking me so you can't be Camp Jupiter. What _is_ your deal?"

There was a strong part of Sora that wanted to deny he was camp _anything_—because he hated lying—but at the same time, he knew he had to at least hide the fact that he was from another world, and Sora's new friend Percy _had_ just given him the perfect excuse for being… different.  
In the end, Sora just decided to ignore camp talk altogether—and pray that Percy thinking he wasn't saying anything about it meant he wasn't agreeing he was from one—and to instead speak of Kairi and the Master of Masters.

Sighing heavily—as he ran a hand through his hair and noted a red-haired girl leading people on the battlements, it now looked like?—Sora admitted, "I- I died, after my last quest. And after some impossible work, I was able to come back… But the worst part about it all, is I left my girlfriend behind when I passed. And right when we finally got together, too! And now that I am back… I can't reach her. I know she's out there and alive, but it's like the fates are always against us or something… That's why I'm trying to find things pertaining to the old myth of man and woman once being one, but the gods splitting us up because they feared our power… it's my only lead on how I might find her, because I told her to meet me there as I just knew this "being separated thing" would happen.

"And on top of that, there's either someone who's an idiot, or _far_ too clever, who's trying to destroy the world that I now have to deal with. And I dunno what to put first. I _should_ save the world. But being too good all the time is sort of how I took my girlfriend for granted before, and never got to spend any time with her. It's all so confusing."

Before Sora had finished this spiel, Percy had begun stress eating from his jean pockets and put a hand on Sora's shoulder—something Sora greatly relished and leaned into, because he needed some emotional support right now.

And as Percy fumbled with the beads on his necklace in what looked like deep thought, he told Sora his own story. "I get it, man. I do. It's no easy thing being a hero, huh? And it's not like any of us _chose_ this… And I do admit there's a lot I regret when it comes to Annabeth and me. But at the same time, there's so much I'd do again and again in a heartbeat because it made us stronger… I just wish she hadn't had to suffer so much…. But I guess it's all water under the bridge, and what's done is done and all that.

"…Right now, six of my friends and I are involved in some stupid prophecy to save the world, too. And while I want to remain optimistic… it's seeming like one of us will die. So we're looking for a Physician's Cure: something that's supposed to save one of us from death… We've finally pinpointed the location of it, but just doing that was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's exhausting. So I wanted to come here before we go get it and partake in anything else crazy. And really, my friends and I _shouldn't_ secretly be here—the Romans would be happy to blow us to smithereens if they knew—but sometimes you just need home, right?

"…So, what are you going to do, Sora? Do you think here has your answer? I know here has mine and Annabeth's: Camp's the good things in life we need to hold onto—and not let go of, even though it would be all too easy to do since we were in Tartarus…"

Tartarus! Sora had heard of that place before: in Olympus, it was true, but even in his own world there were stories of Tartarus. It was the deepest dungeon of the Underworld or Hell, that only the really evil things lived in. If Percy and his Annabeth had really survived _that_, then Sora's heart went out to them.

And Sora wanted to tell his friend that this place was his answer—because Percy's talks of it and Annabeth reminded Sora of how Destiny Islands and Kairi were _his_ home… and if this was a place that those who had been in Tartarus could find peace in, it had to be good—but he knew that it wasn't… and Sora told Percy just that. But found a way to ignite hope in their hearts even then.

"No… this isn't the place I'll find Kairi, but I'm sure it's a step in the right direction! And as hard as it is to hold off on seeing her even more, it'll make our reunion all the sweeter when it finally happens: like how when you and Annabeth finally _do_ get the normal lives you deserve, that'll be the same for you."

And smiling and pointing finger guns at Sora of all things, Percy gave Sora a notebook—perhaps seeming to think that he and Kairi needed to find some normalcy, too—and Sora gave Percy a potion, hoping that maybe it could aid him in his time of need.

But now… Now Sora was going to go to Halloween Town. He was sure that Jack might scare someone from being behind them… And if someone looked at it the right way in that moment, it could look like two people as one… There was also the chance that someone in Halloween Town would dress as one body with two heads.

So off to Halloween Town Sora went—using his Keyblade to make a Corridor of Light and leave New York before he got there. And Sore somehow wasn't surprised that Percy's girlfriend showed up during the light show to look like an angel with all the yellow.

Kairi was his angel, after all, so why should it be any different for Percy with Annabeth?

**Kairi's PoV**

Kairi—since she was getting better at this world hopping stuff—kind of knew from the get-go that this "Kuzco" wouldn't have the answer she was looking for: just because his kingdom had some mural of people with two arms on each side of their body didn't mean that these people would hold true to Sora's idea, and that she'd find him that way... but she still had to try.

And that's how Kairi awkwardly found herself in a meeting with the world's emperor—while he was in another meeting with another person—and she got the sense that said ruler was only tolerating her presence because she was "pretty". But Kairi was so desperate for leads at this point, she'd do what she could for them.

"Uhh, no, pretty one," Emperor Kuzco answered Kairi's question surprisingly politely, but also not so at the same time. "There is _no_ person with four arms here. And no spiky-haired youth looking for such a person, either. But if you help me build my ultimate summer getaway, I'll make you look like you have four arms, by pushing mine out from behind you before pushing you in my pool. What do you say?"

Kairi knew it was insane to think that if she agreed to this, Sora would magically know what was happening and teleport to her. But she had to try.

Which is how she ended up in a long, ridiculous story with a now redeemed emperor—who she liked quite a bit at this point—and a brave commoner who she'd loved through and through.

…It had turned out that Kuzco's "ultimate summer getaway" was going to come at the expense of the nice guy, Pacha's, entire village. So when Pacha rightfully resented him there, Kairi hadn't been able to blame him. Especially when she'd even tried to tell Kuzco that he didn't have to heed her request if that was the price, but had paid her no mind.

Sometime after that, one of Kuzco's former employees had tried to kill him (though Kuzco, Pacha, and Kairi hadn't known this at the time, but that had somehow backfired and he'd instead become something called a "llama".

This had led Kairi and Pacha down the insane path of trying to get Kuzco back home and return him back to normal, and it was no easy thing.

At first, Kairi thought Kuzco and Pacha might kill each other before anyone or anything else would. And even with how good she'd gotten with the Keyblade, Kairi hadn't known if she could stop them from doing so… much like she'd been the bystander to much of Riku and Sora's bloodlust for each other in the past.

Fortunately, they _didn't_ really harm each other—but just barely… and maybe it had something to do with Kairi mentioning how she'd felt jealous of Naminé when she'd heard he had taken Sora away from her for a short time, but now _they_ were best friends.

That was when Kuzco and Pacha's bond had become so strong, that they could try and climb up a cliff they'd just fallen down together, back-to-back (Kairi just used an Aeroga to get herself to the top of the mountain again. But unfortunately, she hadn't been skilled enough with the spell to lift both Kuzco and Pacha's weight).

And as they'd maneuvered that way for a second, they had looked like one being and Kairi had thought she'd found her key to Sora!

…But it didn't happen. Kairi had looked this way and that, but there had no glimpse of Sora and she had had to resist the urge to cry.

Kuzco and Pacha had finally made their way up the earth again… But only for it to begin to crumble just as Pacha's feet touched the end of it! Kuzco, with his teeth, snatched Pacha from the end of it, and Kairi had stretched her body out so Pacha would have something to stand on a bit longer: before Kuzco had grabbed him, that was.

This had signified a new beginning for Kuzco, and even Pacha. And as sad as Kairi was that she'd maybe been misled that this would lead her to Sora, she was glad she'd come along to help these companions. They deserved this happiness.

Then, it had been days since they'd eaten, and they were starving. They'd found a diner… with some questionable food choices. But Kairi was smart and chose a salad, while the boys seemed to be eating bugs? Yuck!

Because he was eating bugs, Kuzco had gone to have a word with the chef and noticed his former servants from the palace were there?! Kuzco had meant to use them to get home… but before this plan had even left his mouth, Pacha had related to Kairi that the man with the…—vizier? Was that the position Kuzco had said she'd had?—was the man he'd seen trying to dispose of Kuzco's "body" before!

And Kairi, despite herself—despite how positive she usually was—hadn't been able to deny that the two probably had tried to kill Kuzco. Murders were extremely rare on Destiny Islands, thank the gods, but when they happened, they usually always happened via a situation at home.

The duo had tried to warn Kuzco of this… but he didn't believe Pacha, at least, thinking this had all been a trap of _his_ to keep him from making that Kuzcotopia.

So the gang split up there.

Pacha headed back home, Kuzco, tried to find Yzma and… Kronk? And Kairi opted to discreetly follow Kuzco to make sure he was safe. When the two finally reached Yzma and Kronk, they repeated the words that Pacha and Kairi had already suspected.

And Kuzco, looking heartbroken—and Kairi's heart went out to him; she tried to comfort him by letting him know she was by his side, but he _ran_ past her without even seeing her—went straight back to Pacha's home.

And then, as a trio, the three had run back to the palace together… thwarted Yzma's attempts to kill Kuzco once again (almost getting a new ally in Kronk along the way?)… won back the kingdom for Kuzco and turned him back!

A few weeks later—and wow, did it surprise Kairi that it only took Kuzco a few weeks to build so much, but power was power she supposed—Kuzco built his pool house in a village near Pacha's that was abandoned, and invited him, his family, and Kairi along.

Kuzco kept his promise to Kairi—the promise to pick her up and throw her into the pool: so that she could look like she had four arms—but there was still nothing there.

But for a time: as she saw the sky before she fell into the water, she thought she saw Sora within it and that was all that mattered.

And after saying goodbye to her new friends—though she'd allowed herself to swim a few times for fun first, like she'd used to on the Islands—she continued her journey.

And now she was thinking of hitting up… Halloween Town? Roxas had mentioned that the residents there had made a scarecrow based on him once. So maybe if she found it, and took Roxas there with her, Sora could see them both from wherever he was and think there were "two Roxases". It seemed silly to try and "trick" Sora this way, but people did crazy things when they were in love.

**A Few Days Later**

**Kairi's PoV**

"…I'm sorry, Kairi. As much as I love you and Sora, I'm _not_ posing with this scarecrow of me. That's somehow just asking Lock, Shock, and Barrell to come bother me again, and I'm _not_ dealing with that."

Before Kairi could try to change Roxas' mind about this, the boy in the Organization suit was already getting onto the little elevator that would take him to the curly hill… Apparently Roxas was going to see if the Trinity Sora, Donald, and Goofy had missed a long time ago was still around, and to see if he could access it with his connection to Sora, Ventus, and himself.

Kairi sighed gravely, thinking her best chance at finding Sora had probably disappeared yet again. She thought about posing with the Roxas figure _herself_—and nearly did—but she didn't want anyone thinking that she was saying Roxas was her soulmate or anything like that.

But apparently holding the scarecrow in her hands for just a hot second there had done the trick, because Kairi soon heard the voice of someone she'd _never_ forget and began sobbing because of it.

"I dunno, Kairi. Lock, Shock, and Barrell are pretty easy to beat in a fight. I think Roxas is just being a baby, what do you think?"

Coming into the graveyard now—looking like the hottest vampire she'd ever seen, and Kairi could only pray her own witch outfit was up to par—was Sora.

And running to him fast, much like she had once done at the Castle That Never Was, Kairi soon found herself in her boyfriend's arms and him spinning her around.

"Sora!" the princess cheered so loudly, she was certain she was making people around here deaf and she felt horrible for it… and yet, she also really didn't. "You _came_! We've all been looking everywhere for you! We saw how you faced the Master of Masters in the world with the two bats, evil sorcerer, and amnesic princess who's a bit like me… Though I guess we shouldn't really be talking about the Master of Masters now, huh? We should be enjoying this."

It was after Kairi had rambled a bit that Sora put her down and looked her over the way she was now checking him out. He'd certainly gotten more muscular while he'd been away… and his hair was a bit darker and longer. There were fewer clumps of spikes now, too—and bangs. There were just a few long strands there—so his locks now really reminded Kairi of Terra's. Sora's eyes also looked positively _tired_ at this point—and she wished she could take it in to herself and bear it so he wouldn't have to—but all-in-all it was still the same Sora Kairi loved, that she was now seeing… And maybe she was now more attracted to him than ever before... Kairi was just praying that Sora would be okay with her having a buzz cut on one side and long hair on the other side of her face now, and her rocking magenta clothes (again) and red eyeshadow.

"Of _course_ I met you here, Kairi…" Sora said now, with his forehead against hers and his breath tickling her face. Kairi giggled. "How could I _not_, after you saved me at the Keyblade Graveyard twice. And after I gave you this longshot riddle to find me again… Sorry about that. It _was_a longshot. But I didn't know what else to do. But now- now it's all worked out. Yay!"

Kairi very much wanted to rib Sora for putting so much stake in a freaking old myth, and making it a thing for them… but she didn't, when she realized Sora was still on about her saving him in the Tunnel of Light… and apparently another time? Shouldn't he have been focusing on his own sacrifice to save _her_, that had cost him his so much?

"Sora… I don't know why you think it's a big deal. Especially since you're the one who had to save me in the end, and you gave up everything to do it..."

Sora opened his mouth once. And the way that his eyebrows furrowed, Kairi could tell—just as the air got colder around them—that Sora had been about to argue her waving away the "her being his light" thing.

But he must have thought better of it, and that their being reunited was more important than anything else, because grinning at her rather stupidly, he seemed to settle on, "And I'd do it for you again in a heartbeat. The way Percy—a guy I just met—would go to Tartarus for his girlfriend again that fast!"

Jack's dog Zero had come to circle around the pair now… And Kairi guessed that he was trying to tell them that they should just give it up and finally kiss—something Kairi _definitely_ wanted to do—but she couldn't help telling Sora a little about her own adventures first.

It was important to Kairi that she do this, because she knew she and Sora were finally equals… that she would never let anything like what had recently happened to him transpire again, and that they'd _earned_ this moment.

"I get you, Sora. Even though Pacha somewhat hated Kuzco at first, he didn't let anything happen to him. And I won't let anything happen to you, either!"

Sora gasped; mock offended, as he gave Kairi a look and shoved her arm playfully. "Are you saying that you _hate_ me?"

And Kairi—now seeing out of the corner of her eye that Roxas was making his way back to them with a treasure chest in hand, and now gaping as he took them in—played with Sora the way she would have when they were children, and teased: "Well, you _can_ be a lazy bu-"

But Sora didn't let Kairi finish that sentence. He locked lips with her the way she'd been dreaming of for so long—and yes, her foot did pop for it—and if anyone had been drawing these two in the notebook Percy had been so kind to give Sora (that _would_ get used by the future artists), they would have made them look like one kissing entity.

**Author's Note: Started before the Re:Mind DLC second trailer came out.**

**Percy Jackson could totally be in Kingdom Hearts, since the books are owned by Disney and so are the films… And how I pray it will be someday (the books).**

**You'll notice that the two new worlds in this are something out there, like Percy Jackson (because I imagine they'll be a KHIV plot point where they find a new solar system, where crazy new Disney properties are available), and one traditional: Emperor's New Groove. Kairi also talks about how both she and Sora were in the Anastasia world (since Disney now owns Fox). But that one's only eluded to, because it's not proper Disney, and I already used my one non-proper Disney franchise in this fic (and Kairi only being in Anastasia a short time after Sora was already there also hints of how they were kept apart: and that Sora's in a non-traditional Disney world and Kairi's in a traditional one).**

**I would have liked to do one more world(s) before they found each other, maybe, but I didn't have time. Oh well. I still think it works fine.**

**Oh! And you can decide for yourself if this is an AU, where the potion Sora gave Percy is what saves Leo at the end of the Blood of Olympus… or if the potion will come in handy in a Percy Jackson thing we haven't seen yet**


End file.
